Whilst the talent of this squad may not be, the magic of the playoff semi final can only be described as generational. From the scenes before kickoff to the electrified stadium, the complete performance to the passion on the pitch – St Mary’s was alive.
Fans came out in force and had the ground elevated from the get go. The players came onto the pitch and straight from kick-off, the intent was obvious. Get to the final.
Southampton played a solid but safe first half, playing to their strengths and suffocating any threat from West Bromwich Albion, who defended well for the initial 45. The saints pressed with intensity, with Flynn Downes and Will Smallbone putting in notable performances, making vital interceptions and turning over play on multiple occasions. A back 3 system worked well, pushing bodies up the pitch whilst also having players cope well with transitioning back into a back 5 when under pressure.
All was level going into half time, and whilst they hadn’t created as much as they should have, Southampton were cruising with complete control of the game.
The second half was where things started to fall into place for the Saints. Attacking with threat from the whistle, a goal quickly followed with a beautiful finish from Southampton-crafted talent, William Smallbone. From being a fan in the stands to sending his team to Wembley, this was a fairy-tale narrative for the young midfielder.
Earlier in the season Smallbone had been subject to horrific abuse both on the pitch and online, but now the lifelong Southampton fan had the world silenced before chants filled the air of “he’s one of our own”. The stadium had lifted as fans dared to hope.
With the force of a sell out crowd behind them, the team in red and white combatted a short spell of pressure from West Brom who saught their equaliser. Some vital blocks from loanee Taylor Hardwood Bellis (who epitomised passion throughout the 90) kept the threat minimised whilst some excellent commanding play from Alex McCarthy settled the box.
As an overall player McCarthy may still be lacking in comparison to usual starting keeper Gavin Bazunu, his shot stopping since stepping up must be applauded, with an accumulation of technical saves being made through recent games. His distribution is a weakness that West Brom tried hard to exploit, often turning over possession directly from goal kicks, but his agility in the box was nothing short of excellent.
Whilst Albion showed little threat of scoring (with only 3/8 shots on target all game), 1-0 was never going to ge a comfortable scoreline to sit on, and another beautiful assist by West Ham’s Flynn Downes to Southampton’s top goal scorer Adam Armstrong saw the Saints make it 2-0. A clinical finish from the striker all but confirmed the side’s place at Wembley.
But they weren’t done yet, Southampton continued to push and press, making a few substitutions as management of players for the final began. Exciting youngster (produced by the Manchester City academy) Sam Edozie, made an appearance and immediately looked bright, causing trouble down the flanks for the Albion. Whilst he didn’t get his goal, there was one more to come from the Saints.
After a well crafted run up the pitch from a newly positioned Jack Stephens, he passed across the box to Manning who went down upon impact with a Bromwich body. Whilst this was arguably much less of a foul than an earlier one on Welsh international David Brooks, the penalty was awarded.
This was slotted away in the 86th minute by Adam Armstrong who stepped up to the plate once again.
The Saints were going to Wembley.
As added time ran down, West Brom had a final opportunity in the 97th minute which was slotted away by Kipre with an open header from a corner but it was not followed by cheers. The stadium was drowned by shouts of red and white, and the reaction in the stadium reflected this goals relevance as the final whistle blew.
Players went to celebrate with fans but were quickly forced off the pitch as fans swarmed it. Whilst the excitement is recognised by all those who have an attachment to the club, this felt premature from the Saints fans with a huge game against Leeds still to go before promotion is tangible. Damage to the ground will be costly, as well as a fine that will almost certainly be issues by the governing body, however this emotion is what football is about. The prolonged on pitch celebration resulted in the coming together of both sets of fans, putting a much more sour tint to the end of the evening than was necessary.
As they prepare for a trip to Wembley there is plenty to be done before facing heavyweights Leeds. Whilst form as of late has dropped for the whites, they remain a force to be reckoned with, their second leg against Norwich proving just how threatening and clinical the side can be. Whilst Southampton come into this game with the favourable consistency, Leeds have a much more lethal side (when they can gel). The Saints will play the way they want to, holding onto the ball and dominating possession, but it will all be decided by who can take their chances better which time has proven to usually be Leeds. So much lies on this game, not just promotion, but financial security and sponsorships too, yet both sides have shown time and time again that they can perform even with the pressure on. Wembley will decide it all.
Poppy Deabill